(sold for $46.0)

1725, Royal France. Silver "Provost of the Merchants (Mayor) of Paris" Medal. aXF!

Mint year: 1725 Mint Place: Paris References: F. 3697  Condition: About XF! Denomination: Medal/Jetton - Provost of the Merchants (Mayor) of Nicolas Lambert. Diameter: 27mm Weight: 6.84gm Material: Silver

Obverse: Oval coat-of-arms of Paris within foliage. Exergue: LA VILLE DE PARIS / 1725 .   Reverse: Crowned oval coat-of-arms of the Provost (Mayor) of Paris (Nicolas Lambert), supported by two unicorns, which are standing on a baroque decorative base. Legend: DE LA PREVOTÉ DE MESS. NICOLAS LAMBERT PRES. AUX REQ. DU PALAIS

Before the French Revolution, the municipality of Paris was headed by the provost of the merchants (French: prévôt des marchands). On 14 July 1789, at the end of the afternoon, following the storming of the Bastille, the provost of the merchants of Paris, Jacques de Flesselles, was shot by the crowd on the steps of Paris city hall. The next day, the first mayor of Paris (French: maire de Paris) was elected.

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A provost (introduced into Scots from French) is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt (French pronunciation: [pʁeˈvoː]) was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Régime France.